The Amsterdam String Theory Group is part of the Faculty of Science and is one of the largest and most prominent groups in the world. The group's research interests are diverse and extend across all of string theory, including topological strings, supersymmetric gauge theory, gravity/gauge theory dualities, supergravity and cosmology. There is a stimulating atmosphere in the group, a diverse range of nationalities, and an active visitor program which attracts the best string theorists from all over the world.
Our group's faculty members include: Jay Armas, Daniel Baumann, Jan de Boer, Miranda Cheng, Lorenz Eberhardt, Ben Freivogel, Diego Hofman, Mikhail Isachenkov, Andrea Puhm, Jan Pieter van der Schaar, Erik Verlinde and Marcel Vonk.
Our group’s website:
https://iop.uva.nl/content/research-groups/strings/index.htmlProject description String theory is the most promising theory that unifies all particles and forces in nature, including gravity, in a way consistent with the laws of quantum mechanics and relativity. String theory answers fundamental questions about the symmetries of nature, the quantum behaviour of black holes, the existence and breaking of supersymmetry, and the quantum treatment of singularities. In string theory all the forces and particles emerge in an elegant geometrical way, realizing Einstein's ultimate dream of building everything from the geometry of space-time.
What are you going to do? You will do original research in this field under the direction of one of the faculty members in the group. You will be comfortable using mathematical tools on a daily basis to attack fundamental problems in theoretical physics. The daily activities consist mainly in research, but it is also expected that you participate in the many seminars by internal and external speakers as well as journal clubs and group activities. Collaboration with other PhD candidates, postdoctoral researchers and other faculty members will be encouraged. At the end of the PhD program you will be an expert in at least one of the subfields of High Energy Theoretical Physics.
While these topics are fundamentally of a theoretical nature, you will have the possibility to develop collaborations with other members of IoP and pursue applications of string theory techniques in other fields.